Electro-mechanical clutch



Sept. 17, 1963 F. H. GINDROZ ELECTRO-MECHANICAL CLUTCH 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed June 15, 1960 INVENTOR F RA /w G/NDR oz BY er- J zz/246a ATTORNEYSSept. 17, 1963 F. H. GINDROZ 3,104,337

ELECTRO-MECHANICAL CLUTCH Filed June 15, 1960 Z SheetS-Sheet 2 INV ENTOR FRANK G/lvo/zoz ATTORNEYS tronic Specialty Company, Los Angeles,Calif., a corporation of California Filed June 15, 1960, Ser. No. 36,3426 Claims. (Cl. 3l078) This invention relates to rotary drive clutchesand more particularly to friction clutches or the like havingelectro-magnetic actuating means.

It is a primary object of this invention to provide an electromechanical clutch assembly for direct attachment to the armature shaftof an electric motor. Another ject of this invent-ion is 'to provide anelectro-mechanical clutch assembly for a commutated input electric motorwherein the electric power for the clutch is derived directly from thedrive side of the armature windings and not directly from thecommutator. Another object of this invention is to provide anelectro-mechanical clutch assembly for a commutated input electric motorwherein no modification of armature slots and windings is necessary.Still a further object of this invention is to provide anelectromechanical clutch assembly for commutated input electric motorswherein the electronnagnetic actuating means for said clutch includes athree phase winding fed by three phase taps on the drive side of themotor armature winding. Yet another object of this invention is toprovide anelectro-mechanioal clutch assembly for a commutated inputelectric motor wherein the driving and driven members of the clutch areof laminated armature steel construction.

These and other objects of this invention will become apparent withreference to the following specification and drawings which illustratepreferred embodiments of the invention.

In the drawings:

I FIGURE 1 is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 2,is a side elevation in partial cross section of the embodimentshown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a detail of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a detail of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 6 is a side elevation in partial cross section of the embodimentof FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is a detail of FIGURE 6.

Referring in detail to the drawings and more particularly to FIG. 1, oneembodiment of the invention is shown schematically to oomp-rise anarmature winding ltl fed by a power source (not shown) through a pair ofbrushes 12 in contact with a commutator 14. A plurality of leads l6connect the commutator segments with the armature winding ll). While theshowing of FIGURE 1 is schematic only, the side of the armature Windingl0 physically removed from the commutator 14 will be hereinafterreferred to as the drive side of the armature winding. A pair of windingtaps 18 which are 180 electrical degrees out of phase are located on thedrive side of the armature winding 10. A clutch energizing inductioncoil 20 is connected by leads 22 across the winding taps 18 in a singlephase type of connection. The clutch energizing coil 20 is wound in aflat shape as shown and is mounted concentrically about the centralraised pole piece 26 on the driving clutch disk 24. An outer peripheralraised pole piece 28 is externally concentric with the clutch energizingcoil 2% and includes a pair of access slots 30 for receiving the loads22. The driven portion of the clutch mechanism comprises an integralplate and shaft combination 32 and 34,'respectively.

hdhifi-Zi? Patented Sept. 17, 1963 In FIG. 2, the elements describedwith reference to FIG. 1 are shown in their assembled physicalrelationships. The commutator ring 14, the armature and its winding 10and the driving clutch disk 24 are all mounted on a common shaft. Thedriving clutch disk 24 is shown as being made up of a. plurality ofsteel laminations 24 of either the helical or transverse type which maybe shaped to form the raised pole pieces 26 and 28. These pole piecesmay alternatively be of solid material welded to the disk 24.

The driven clutch disk 32 is also formed of the plurality of steell-amiantions 32' of either the helical or transverse type, as desired.The driven shaft 34 to which the driven disk 32 is attached is slidablyjournalled in a fixed bearing member 35. A coiled compression spring 38surrounds the shaft 34 and abuts the surface of the bearing member 36farthest removed from the driven disk 32 and extends along the shaftuntil it abuts an annular stop member 40 on shaft 34.

A detailed end View of the driving clutch disk is shown in FIG. 3wherein the pole pieces 26 and 28 are shown as having friction surfaces42. The entire end face of the driven clutch disk 34 is shown in FIG. 4as comprising a mating friction face 44 adapted to be engaged by thefriction faces 42 on the driving clutch disk 24-.

A second embodiment of the invention is shown schematically in FIG. 5.The brushes 12, commutator 14 and the rotor or armature winding 10joined thereto by conductors 16 are in the same arrangement as describedabove with respect to FIG. 1. Three winding taps 46 are located on thedrive side of the armature winding 10 and are spaced electrical degreesfrom one another forming a threephase-delta connection. The power fromthe armature winding 1% is passed from the winding taps 46 through threephase leads 48 to three clutch energizing coils 50, S2 and 54 connectedby terminals 56, 58 and 69, respectively, to a central ring shapedconductor 62. This common or neutral conductor s2 and the connectiontherewith of the three clutch energizing coils 50, 52 and 54, comprises:a three-phase-Y connected clutch energizing winding. The energizingcoils 5t), 52 and 54 are individually wound about a plurality ofcorresponding pole pieces 64, 66 and 68, respectively and the centralring shaped conductor or neutral connection 62 surrounds a central polepiece 79. All of the pole pieces dorm an integral part of a drivingclutch disk 72 and extend perpendicularly from one face thereof.

In both FIGS. 5 and 7 the pole pieces 64,, 66 and 68 are symmetricallydisposed with respect to the driving clutch disk 72 and the centers ofthese pole pieces are so located as to form the apices of an equilateraltriangle and the center of'the central pole piece 70 is located at thecenter of the triangle. This arrangement provides a strong, positiveacting clutch disk which is both statically and dynamically balanced forrotation.

Referring also to FIG. 6, the driving clutch disk 72 is shown tocomprise a plurality of steel lamin ations 72' of either the helical ortransverse type which are joined together by means not shown to form theintegral clutch plate 72 and pole pieces 64, 66 and 70. The pole piecesmay alternatively be of solid material welded to the disk 72. Thedriving clutch plate or disk 72 is shown mounted on a common shaft oraxis of rotation with the armature and winding Iii and the commutator14. The driven portion of the clutch mechanism comprises the sameintegral plate and shaft combination 32 and 34, respectively, and is thesame as the corresponding portion 'of the clutch mechanism described inconnection with see FIGURE 7, are covered with a similar material '74-.

Operation In the embodiment of FEGURES 1, 2, 3 and 4, power is suppliedto the motor armature winding ltl byway of the brushes 12, commutator1dand conductors 16. As rotation of the motor armature Winding it)begins, a single phase A.C. voltage varying in frequency with the speedof rotation is induced across the winding taps 13 by their 180electrical degree phase relationship. This voltage produces a current inthe clutch energizing coil 26 by leads 22 which in turn producesmagnetic flux in the laminated driving clutch disk 24. The magneticenergizetion of the coil 2d and clutch disk 24 draws the driven clutchdisk 32 and shaft 34 into positive engagement with the outer ends of thepole pieces 26 and 28 of the driving disk 24 against the action ofcompression spring 33.

The friction material 42 on the pole pieces'26 and 28 engages thefriction mate-rial id on the face of the driven clutch disk 32 and musthe clutching action is completed whereby the driving disk 24 transmitspower from the electric motor armature It) to the driven disk 32 andoutput shaft 34. When electric powerto the armature lil is cut off andthe motor rotation diminishes, the coil 26 will be de-energizedand thecompression spring 38 acting against the annular stop 40 on the shaft 34will shitt the shaft 34 and driven disk 32 out of engagement with thedriving disk 24. V I

' In the embodiment of FIGURES 5, 6 and 7, energizetion of the armaturewinding 10 induces a three phase -A.C. voltage across the respectivedelta'connected winding taps 46 located on the drive side of the windingid. This three phase voltage induces a current in the (-connected threephase magnetizing windings 5t), 52 and 54 on the driving disk '72 or"the clutch. A magnetic flux is thus produced in the driving disk 72which is manifested at the polepieces 64, 66 and 68 associated withthe'Yconnected coils 5t 52 and 54, respectively, and the central polepiece 70; I

The driven clutch disk 32 and sliding shafit 34 are thusl of engagementwith the driving disk "74 and thereby (loclutclh the mechanism.

The laminated construction of the two clutch disks 24 and, 32 in thefirst embodiment and 7d and 32 in the second embodiment provide superiorstrength to that of cast 'orturned parts and at the same time preventdam aging eddy current heating. s

Since the armature winding 10 is tapped on the drive side as opposed todirect connection of I the clutch wind-- ings to the commutator 14, noextra armatureslots, n

crowding of pnesent armature slots and no slip'ring's are needjto adaptthe clutch device of this inventio'nto an electric motor. The terminals,leads and windings all totate with the armature Winding and thereforerequire no special external connections.

In the second embodiment the three phase clutch energizing windings 5t),52 and 54 provide a more continuous and 'theretore higher averagepowe'renergization of the magnetic clutch whereby a stronger, morereliable and energized and being drawn into engagement with said polemodifications of those disclosed, may be made and practiced withoutdeparting in any Way from the spirit or scope of the invention, for thelimits of which reference must be made to the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An electromechanical motor and clutch, compris sing a motor armature,an armature winding energized from a direct current source through acommutator and armature shaft, an electromechanical clutch mean-scomprising a plurality. of taps of the armature winding on the driveside thereof, a driving clutch disk mounted for rotation with saidarmature shaft and including a plurality of magnetic pole pieces,energizing windings mounted on said driving clutch disk concentricallydisposed with respect to at least one of the pole pieces, a plurality ofleads connecting the said energizing windings with the said windingtapswhereby energizingpower is applied thereto during energization of thesaid armature winding, and a driven clutch disk and shafit normallybiased out of engagement with thesaid pole pieces on said driving clutchdisk when said energizing windings are die-energized and being drawninto engagement with the said pole pieces by magnetic attraction whensaid energizing windings are energized. V

2. An electr c-mechanical motor and clutch, comprising a motor armature,an armature winding energized from a direct current source through acommutator, an electromechanical clutch comprising a plurality of tapsof the armature winding on the drive side thereof, a driving clutch diskmounted for rotation with said armature, an energizing Winding mountedon said driving clutch disk, a central pole piece on said driving clutchdisk within and concentric with said energizing winding and 21peripheral pole piece on said driving clutch disk outside and concentricwith said energizing winding, a plurality of leads connecting saidenergizing winding with said Winding taps whereby energizing power isapplied to the energizing winding during energization of the armaturewinding, and a driven clutch disk and shaft normally biased out ofengagement with the pole pieces on the driving clutch disk when theenergizing winding is depieces by magnetic attraction when theenergizing Wind- 1 ing is energized.- r V 3; A11 electr c-mechanicalmotor and clutch, comprising one another, a driving'clutch .disk mountedfor rotation extremely positive clutching action is accomplished. Thus,

'-While I have described and illustrated certain (forms which myinvention may take, it will be apparent to those skilledin the art thatother embodiments, as: well as with said armature and including aplurality ofmagnetic pole pieces, three individual energizing windingsmounted on said driving clutch disk each of which is concentricallydisposed with respect to one of said pole pieces and one terminal ofeach of the three windings being joined toing, and a driven clutch diskand shaft normallyb-iased out of engagementwith the said pole pieces ofthe driving clutchdisk when the energizing windings are de-energized andbeing drawn into engagement with the said pole pieces by magneticattraction when said energizing windings are energized.

4. The invention defined in claim 3 wherein said winding taps form-adelta connection with said armature winding. I

5 The invention definedin claim 3 wherein said driven and said drivingclutch'disks. comprise spiral wound laminated armature steel.

ity of pole pieces comprises three symmetrically disposed gizingwindings whereby the common neutral point for pole pieces, each polepiece being enclosed by a respective the said Y connection is provided.one of said three energizing windings, said symmetrically disposed polepieces having their centers as the spices References Clted m the file ofthls patent of an equilateral triangle defined by the said centers, and5 UNITED STATES PATENTS a central pole piece having the center thereoflocated at 5 3 395 Dewey J 30 1 94 the median of the said triangle, thebase of said central 2, 44,905 Brueder l 7, 1953 pole piece beingsurrounded by a continuous ring shaped 2,663,809 Winslow Dec. 22, 1953conductor commonly connected to all of the said ener- 2,795,711 MillerJune 11, 1957

1. AN ELECTRO-MECHANICAL MOTOR AND CLUTCH, COMPRISING A MOTOR ARMATURE,AN ARMATURE WINDING ENERGIZED FROM A DIRECT CURRENT SOURCE THROUGH ACOMMUTATOR AND ARMATURE SHAFT, AN ELECTRO-MECHANICAL CLUTCH MEANSCOMPRISING A PLURALITY OF TAPS OF THE ARMATURE WINDING ON THE DRIVE SIDETHEREOF, A DRIVING CLUTCH DISK MOUNTED FOR ROTATION WITH SAID ARMATURESHAFT AND INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF MAGNETIC POLE PIECES, ENERGIZINGWINDINGS MOUNTED ON SAID DRIVING CLUTCH DISK CONCENTRICALLY DISPOSEDWITH RESPECT TO AT LEAST ONE OF THE POLE PIECES, A PLURALITY OF LEADSCONNECTING THE SAID ENERGIZING POWER IS APPLIED THERETO WINDING TAPSWHEREBY ENERGIZING POWER IS APPLIED THERETO DURING ENERGIZATION OF THESAID ARMATURE WINDING, AND A DRIVEN CLUTCH DISK AND SHAFT NORMALLYBIASED OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH THE SAID POLE PIECES ON SAID DRIVINGCLUTCH DISK WHEN SAID ENERGIZING WINDINGS ARE DE-ENERGIZED AND BEINGDRAWN INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE SAID POLE PIECES BY MAGNETIC ATTRACTIONWHEN SAID ENERGIZING WINDINGS ARE ENERGIZED.